Bib screw remover



April 14, 1964 K. L. ZIMMERMAN BIB SCREW REMOVER Fild May 28, 1962 P INVENTOR 2 4 m/EQY 60 v z A1TORNEY5 5/ United States Patent 3,128,646 B1B SCREW REMOVER Karl L. Zimmerman, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Woodward Wanger ilompany, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed May 28, 1962, Ser. No. 198,179 1 Claim. (Cl. 77-20) This invention in general relates to plumbing equipment and in particular relates to a manually operated device to be used by plumbers for drilling out damaged ,or frozen bib screws from faucet stems.

Often times in maintenance and repair work, plumbers are called upon to replace faulty washers which cause the faucet to leak or otherwise operate improperly. Usually the bib screw which holds the washer on the faucet stem is in such condition that it cannot be removed with a screwdriver. This often necessitates the replacement of a perfectly good stem or taking the stem to a shop having equipment so that the faulty screw can be drilled out and new threads tapped in the stern. Either of the foregoing repairs is time consuming and relatively expensive.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a small, manually operated drill-type device which can be used on the job for the removal of bib screws.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the kind in question having holding means for supporting a faucet stem with respect to a drill bit, the holding means being arranged to accommodate faucet stems of different diameters.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the kind in question having holding means to support a faucet stem with respect to a drill bit, the holding means being arranged to accommodate faucet stems of different diameters together with means for aligning the drill bit with respect to the bib screw of any of the stems supported by the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the kind in question having holding meansfor supporting a faucet stem with respect to a drill bit, the holding means being arranged to accommodate faucet stems having different diameters and also to accommodate stems having operating threads of varying axial lengths.

A preferred construction of the invention will be explained below in connection with the following drawings, wherein:

LFIGURE 1 is a front elevational 'view showing the device in position for drilling out a bib screw;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of FIGURE 1 showing the drill bit moved away from the bib screw;

FIGURE 3 is a plan section on the line 3-3 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section of the line 44 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a plan section of the line 5-5 of FIG- URE 1; and

FIGURE 6 is a vertical section on the line 66 of FIGURE 1.

With reference to FIGURE 1, a frame 1 has an elongated body 2 and a head 3. The frame body is formed with two parallel edge walls 4 and 5 and serrations 6 which extend between the edge walls. An elongated slot 19 runs along the frame body parallel to the edge walls 4 and 5. The frame head 3 is formed with a groove 11 including the side walls 12 and 13-, which are oriented at right angles to the edge walls 4 and 5. The side wall 12 is made discontinuous as by the undercut 14 and the side wall 13 made discontinuous by the undercut 15 so that in effect, the side walls are configured in the nature of pads 16.

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A drill support 17 is disposed in the groove 11 in engagement with the side walls 12 and 13. The drill support can be adjusted back and forth in the groove 11 with its direction of motion being normal to the edge walls 4- and 5. The drill support is adapted to be locked in an adjusted position as follows. A screw 20 is threaded into the frame head 3 (FIGURE 4) and extends outwardly through a slot 21 formed in the drill support. When the screw is tightened up, the head 22 of the screw causes a washer plate 23 to bear against the pad 24- on the drill support and holds the support in position.

The drill support carries a threaded bushing 25 which can be moved back and forth by grasping the knurled flange 26 and turning the same.

A spindle 27 is disposed in an aperture 30' in the bushing 25. The spindle mounts a drill bit 31. The mounting of the spindle 27 in the bushing provides for the spindle to be rotatable about the bit axis A and also to be movable back and forth along the bit axis.

The bit axis A is oriented at right angles to the surfaces 12 and 13 or parallel to the edges 4 and 5 so that when the drill support is adjusted in the groove 11, the axis A remains in this condition or moves normal to its rotational axis.

Toward the bottom of the frame is a table 34 having a groove 35, having side walls 36 and 37. The side walls are made discontinuous by the undercuts 39 and 40* to form pads 41. The side walls 36 and 37 are in sliding engagement with the edge walls 4 and 5 and provide that the table can be adjusted along the frame with the frame motion being parallel to the axis A. The table can be locked in an adjusted position by the mechanism described following.

A screw 42 (FIGURES 5 and 6) is threaded in the table and extends outwardly through the slot 10. A clamp 43 has serrations 44 which are adapted to mate with the serrations 6 on the frame. The screw has a head 45 and when the screw is tightened up, the head causes the clamp to bring the serrations 44 and 6 into tight engagement.

Referring to FIGURES 1, 2 and 5, the table has a V- shaped slot 46 comprised of planar surfaces 50 and 51, which intersect along the line 52. The line 52 constitutes the axis of the slot. The axis A is oriented (by the drill support, etc.) parallel to the axis 52-.

The V-shaped slot is adapted to accommodate the shank of a faucet stern, for example, the shank 53 of the stem 8. As will be apparent, the V-shaped configuration of the slot accepts stems having shanks of smaller or greater diameters. A clamp member 54 is adapted to bear against the shank of a stem supported in the V-shaped slot and secure the shank tight against the surfaces 50 and 51. The clamp 54 is mounted as follows. A screw 55 on one side of the slot 46 has a shank 54 threaded in the table. The shank 54 extends through an aperture 56 in the clamp and the clamp is rotatable on the shank. A screw 60 on the opposite side of the slot 46 has a shank 61 which is also threaded in the table and is adapted to extend through a slot (FIGURE 2) 62 formed in the clamp. The screw 55 has a head 63 and the screw 60 has a head 64. When the screws are tightened up, the heads butt up against the clamp and hold the clamp firmly against the stern. When the screws are loosened, the clamp can be rotated about the shank 54 (counterclockwise as viewed in FIGURE 2) to provide for the insertion or removal of a faucet stern. It will be noted that the screws 55 and 60 can be adjusted in the table so that the clamp is positioned with respect to the V-shaped slot to accommodate stems of different diameters. The V-shaped slot, the clamp 5'4- with its screws 55 and 60 constitute a positive holding means for the faucet stems.

With reference to FIGURES 2 and 5, the axis A of :3 the drill bit and the axis 52 of the V-shaped slot lie in a common plane P. When the drill support 17 is adjusted in the groove 11, this relationship is maintained. Also it will be noted that the axis of any stem mounted in the V-shaped slot lies in the plane P.

The adjustment of the table 34 along the frame positions at bib screw 69 on the top of a stem S closer to or farther away from the drill bit 31. This adjustment is to compensate for stems having operating threads of different axial lengths, for example, the threads 70. The adjustment maintains the axes A and 52 in the plane P. The adjustment of the drill support 17 in the slot 11 laterally positions the bit 31 in the plane P with respect to the bib screw in the stem. Since the position of the screw in the plane P is dependent on the diameter of the stem (the larger the stem, the farther the screw is spaced from the V-shaped slot) the adjustment provides for the drill bit to be properly aligned.

For using the bit 31 to remove a bib screw, the device is set up for example as shown in FIGURE 1 with the bit 31 engaging the screw 69 and the head 71 on the bushing 25 tightly engaged with the head 72 on the ,spindle 27. Then the handle 73 on the spindle 27 is turned and this causes rotation of the drill bit and movement into the screw 69. The flange 26 then is again turned to maintain the tight engagement between the drill bit and the screw. Then the handle 73 is turned to rotate the drill. Then the flange 26 is turned to maintain the tight engagement. This process is continued until the washer is drilled out. The stem is removed from the device and a tap (not shown) is used in a conventional manner to out new threads.

In connection with the above, it will be noted that the bottom 74 of the thread 70 rests on the top '75 of the clamp 54 and on the top part 76 of the table. This provides a firm support for the stem during the drilling operation. Additionally, it will be noted that the side walls 13 of the slot 11 and the serrations 6 and 43 extend at right angles to the direction of drilling thrust; i.e., along the axis A. Thus, it will be seen that the drilling support 17 and the table 34 are held in position by positive locking arrangements rather than by friction. Also the table 34 is interengaged with the frame via the groove 35 and the side walls 36 and 37 of groove 35 bearing on the edge walls 4 and of the frame body 2 cooperate with the clamp 43 in maintaining the table position during drilling.

I claim:

A bib screw remover or the like comprising:

a frame formed with a head and a body, the frame body having two parallel edge walls and the frame head being formed with a groove having side walls which extend at right angles to said edge walls and the frame body being further formed with a slot extend- 4 ing parallel to the edge walls and with serrations extending between the edge walls;

a table formed with a groove, the side walls of which respectively slidably engage said edge walls, the edge walls and groove providing for the table to be adjusted along the frame;

a screw threaded on the bottom of said table groove and extending outwardly through said frame slot, the screw having a holding head;

a plate on said screw below said holding head and having serrations for mating with said frame body serrations, the screw when threaded up causing its holding head to contact the plate and tightly engage the serrations to lock the table in adjusted position on said body;

means on said table forming a V-shaped slot for receiving and holding a faucet stem with the axis of the stem parallel to the axis of the slot and the V- shaped slot being formed with its axis parallel to said frame edge walls;

a pair of screws threaded on said table and respectively disposed on opposite sides of said V-shaped slot; clamp means rotatably mounted on the shank of one of said screws and formed with a slot for receiving the shank of the other said screw, each screw having a holding head for tightening down against the t clamp to cause the same to hold a faucet stem firm against the V-shaped slot and the screws providing for positioning the clamp with respect to the slot to accommodate different diametered stems;

a drill support formed with two parallel edge walls and a slot extending parallel the edge walls, the edge walls slidably engaging the side walls of said frame head groove and the frame head groove and the edge walls providing for the drill support to be adjustable toward and away from the frame head;

a screw threaded on the bottom of said frame head groove and extending outwardly through said drill support slot, the screw having a holding head for tightening down against the drill support to lock the same in an adjusted position in the groove; and

means on said drill support for mounting a drill bit for rotation and for movement along its rotational axis, the means mounting the drill bit, with its rota tional axis parallel the axis of the V-shaped slot and lying in a plane containing the axis of the V-shaped groove.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,340,508 Cooke et'al. Feb. I, 1944 2,634,632 Johnson Apr. 14, 1953 3,030,830 Reejner Apr. 24, 1962 

